Needle and Thread
by cutekitty5597
Summary: [One-shot] "Even though she didn't intentionally seek out her first partner, she sure ended up with a good one." Eri decides it's her mission to cheer Shiki up, that is what best friends are for right ? [Twelve Shots of Summer Second Raid]


"Shiki?" Eri called out softly through the closed wooden door. When no reply came, Eri tries again a bit louder. Maybe she didn't hear the first time? But when silence greets the girl, Eri's worry and guilt grew.

Eri knows the tell-tale signs when Shiki is upset, sudden spouts of quietness and the constant looking down were a few. Eri had thought that in a few days the situation would get better but instead she's outside her best friend's door trying to get a reply.

Eri lightly knocks on the door and enters, usually this would result in a complaint about actually having to wait for an answer before entering but clearly Shiki wasn't in the mood for answering.

The curtains are closed it was a dreary day anyway which doesn't help with the lighting situation. Luckily Eri knows Shiki's room as well as her own so worrying about colliding into objects isn't her top priority, talking to Shiki is.

It doesn't take long to find Shiki, Eri knew all her hiding spots and having a definite confirmation that she is in her room helps a lot. After checking under the desk and bed, Eri checks the wardrobe where Shiki is curled up on top of her shoes.

Sighing Eri squeezes into the spot next to her best friend, the side of a box is digging into her but Eri ignores it. The next few minutes are one in silence, with Eri looking at Shiki sort of expecting for her to open up and explain why she is upset. That's how it went beforehand right? But Shiki brings her knees closer herself and seems be smaller than she already is.

"I'm sorry," Eri almost doesn't catch the muffled sentence and it takes a moment for Eri figure out what she's apologising for.

"Why are you sorry you idiot?" Eri says half smiling as she playfully nudges Shiki. Though the attempt at lightening the mood fails as Shiki buries her head deeper into her knees.

Eri is at a loss here at her friend's reaction, usually by now Shiki would have wiped her tears dry and they would be on their way. What is so different about this time?

"I thought I'd changed, but I managed to ruin everything again." Shiki's words are broken by sniffles and Eri has to piece most of the muffled words together.

"What are you saying Shiki," Eri slings an arm around Shiki into what becomes an awkward half hug as Shiki doesn't even lift her head from her knees. Eri sighs and tilts her head back so it's up against the wardrobe wall, "true, this competition wasn't the best one to lose," the stiffening up of Shiki does makes Eri reluctant to continue but pushes through, "but Shiki it's not the end of the world."

"But now we can't go to the art college and it's all because I made a stupid design," voice cracking the dark haired girl whips her head up to face the shocked face of her friend before sobbing again.

"Hey," Eri rubs Shiki's shoulder in a comforting manner, "they also criticised my designs and one of the judges had no sense of fashion." Eri wrinkles up her nose in memory, "I mean who pairs up natural puppy with Tigre Punks," Shiki laughs a bit at that but it comes out dry.

"You know what, we didn't get in via the scholarship, we'll just take the entrance exam, I mean we have to study and maybe spend less time on our designs but it'll be worth it right." Through crooked and misty glasses Shiki looks up at her best friend who beams back at her.

"But I held you back, maybe if we entered separately you could have gotten in." The scholarship to enter the college had consisted of a portfolio and a small fashion show and despite Shiki's protests Eri had entered them in as a pair.

Eri groans and stands up suddenly, Shiki just wasn't getting it. "I don't care about that stupid," holding out a hand for Shiki, she grins "sometimes the longer and more difficult route is the best to take, we'll gain more from it right?"

Shiki opens her mouth to protest but Eri cuts in before she can say something demoralising, "and I thought you were the one who was into the deep stuff." The light joke convinces Shiki to take the outstretched hand, "do you forgive me?"

Rolling her eyes Eri pulls Shiki into a bone crushing hug causing her best friend to protest, "ow, Eri I can't breathe."

Loosening slightly she doesn't cause asphyxiation Eri softly says, "There's no one else that can make my designs come alive but you, you're my partner okay?" Pulling back she holds Shiki by her shoulders, "we're needle and thread you and I. We can't work without each other, so you are never holding me back, got it?"

Meekly nodding, Shiki is pulled back into another hug and returns it smiling because even though she didn't intentionally seek out her first partner, she sure ended up with a good one.

* * *

 **Another Twelve shots of summer, this time the prompt was Partners in Crime. For this prompt I was debating between fandom but settle on TWEWY because partners right ?**

 **Thanks for reading XD**


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